WELCOME to 6th grade Team Blue :)
Welcome to 6th grade! This is a very exciting time for you and your
parents. We try to make the transition from elementary to middle school as
smooth as possible. For some of you that means making new friends and
learning how to be more responsible and organized. For others, this time
might be a bit scary, but please know that all of your teachers are here to
help you become a successful middle school student.
Social Studies:
Students will be learning about how we study the past, the events that led
to civilizations, characteristics of a civilization, and cultural aspects of
these ancient civilizations. We will be exploring geography and how
geography affects a civilizations growth and its characteristics. We will be
reading Junior Scholastic magazine to learn more about current and world
events and cultures, build geography skills and our reading skills. A
textbook will be provided for you to take home for the entire year and one
will be provided in class. Keep your textbook in a safe place. This book
does not come back until the end of the year.
We will develop strategies to make connections between what we read and
the outside world as well as ourselves. We will also learn many reading
strategies to build comprehension of text especially prereading strategies
to set a purpose and strategies while you read. Students will also learn how
to answer open-ended response questions and short answer essays. They will
develop the tools to develop an organized essay or paragraph using
information/details from the text and thier prior knowledge in thier
elaboration.
Why we have homework:
Review and practice concepts and skills.
Prepare for complex or difficult lessons.
Develop better study habits and skills for higher education.
Provide additional time for the exploration of a topic.
Reflect on prior learning.
Enhance and supplement learning.
Develop time management skills.
Foster independent learning.
Thank you for taking the time to view my web page. I hope that this becomes
a useful tool for parents and students and that you keep this as a favorites
so you can check for upcoming events and your homework. Please be sure to
check your student planner for homework as well. I will try to keep this
webite as updated as possible. The FAQ section may privide you and your
family with addtional information to any questions you may have. If your
parents have any questions that are not answered on this website about
social studies or any questions relating to school, please have them email
me.
Your responsibility:
You must bring with you your FOLDER(this is given to you by your teacher)
with 30 pieces of looseleaf paper attached to the brads of the folder, a
blue or black pen, pencil with eraser, correcting pen and your ASSIGNMENT
PAD daily.
Maps are always completed in pencil neatly paying close attention to
spelling, and Capitalization of Proper Nouns. Colored pencils are provided
for your use in class.
Please label the folder with your first and last name, social studies, your
homeroom, 6th grade/blue. That way it can be returned to you if it gets
lost.
Fill the brads with 20 sheets of loose-leaf. My classes are organized by
color; this depends on the period you have my class on Monday.
The folder is given to you by your teacher and matches the color of your
class. Each of my social studies classes is assigned a color.
This will be easier for you to find in your binder or locker when you
prepare for class. This will be your social studies notebook. DO NOT use a
spiral notebook in class for notes. Thank you.
Your folder is your notebook!!!!! It is to be seperate from your binder.
Folders that are attached to your binder fall apart. BINDERS STAY UNDER
YOUR DESK during class.
The first couple of weeks we will work on geography: map skills, continents
and oceans, and physical geography. Please take the opportunity to use maps
at home focusing on the key/legend, compass, and scale. Google earth and
mapquest are great internet sites for map practice. We will also work on
textbook skills.
We will read in order:
Chapter 1: Hunter-gatherers to farming: Old to New Stone Age, Chapter 2:
Fertile Crescent, Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt, Chapter 6: Ancient Greece, 7:
Ancient Rome
3rd marking period(spring)
We will be learning about Ancient Greece. This is chapter 6 in our
textbooks. We will be focusing on how their geography shaped their
civilization. Greece is made up of mountainous peninsulas and islands,
quite different than Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, both of which were river
civilizations. Thus, the Greeks developed as very independent city-states
and became rivals. Over time they grew into one civilization. We will be
studying how this affected their culture and civilization characteristics:
Surplus food, specialization of labor, social classes, government, and
highly developed culture. Highly developed culture includes: religious
beliefs, writing, architecture, art, customs and style.
You will need to preread each section : write out the objectives from each
section into questions, write out and know your key terms,
and read carefully. While you read, you will take notes by outlining,
drawing pictures, creating cause and effect statements and answering
essential questions.
During class, we will read plays, the textbook, stories, myths and watch a
video about ancient Greece. We will learn about Greecian accomplishments
such as democracy, architecture, sculpture, and drama.
Study Guide: Chapter 3 Ancient Egypt
Study key terms
Answer the questions below
1. How did the Nile affect Egyptian life?
2. What did religious beliefs help to explain?
3. How did Egyptians practice their religious beliefs?
4. Explain the social class structure of ancient Egypt-which group was
the largest?
5. Why was astronomy significant to the Egyptians?
6. How much power did the pharaoh have?
7. The lives/jobs of the peasants revolved around what?
8. What form of writing did the Egyptians create?
Be able to identify physical features on a map
Be able to use a map key and compass
Be able to explain the purpose of a map
Short answer essay: How did the physical geography help the civilization of
ancient Egypt grow? Be able to identify 2 physical features and explain the
benefits of each to the Ancient Egyptians.